Stjepan Đureković (8 August 1926 – 28 July 1983) was a Croatian political dissident and businessman who was assassinated by the
Yugoslavian State Security Administration (UDBA) in West Germany in 1983. He was previously the
CEO of the state-owned
INA petrol company. In 1982, he
defected to West Germany and became active in
Croatian émigré circles opposed to
Yugoslavia
, common_name = Yugoslavia
, life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation
, p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia
, flag_p ...
.
Early life
Đureković was born in
Bukovac near
Petrovaradin. During World War II he avoided service in the
Independent State of Croatia
The Independent State of Croatia (, NDH) was a World War II–era puppet state of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy (1922–1943), Fascist Italy. It was established in parts of Axis occupation of Yugoslavia, occupied Yugoslavia on 10 April 1941, ...
's armed forces to join the
Partisans.
[Dossier: Slučaj Perković ili tko su hrvatski obavještajci](_blank)
24sata.hr; accessed 20 January 2016.
Business career in FPR/SFR Yugoslavia
After the war he rose to a position within
INA.
Relocation to West Germany
After falling out with the government he defected to
West Germany
West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...
in 1982 where he became involved with the
Croatian National Committee, an
Ustaše
The Ustaše (), also known by anglicised versions Ustasha or Ustashe, was a Croats, Croatian fascist and ultranationalist organization active, as one organization, between 1929 and 1945, formally known as the Ustaša – Croatian Revolutionar ...
-linked organization.
Together with Ivan Botić he published ''Yugoslavia in crisis'', in which the two argued that Yugoslavia's large inflation rate and unemployment was resulting in the exploitation of Croatian resources.
Assassination
Đureković was assassinated in
Wolfratshausen,
West Germany
West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...
by UDBA agents in 1983 in "Operation Dunav".
Đureković's remains were reburied at
Zagreb
Zagreb ( ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...
's
Mirogoj cemetery in 1999.
In 2005, Germany issued an arrest warrant on
Josip Perković for his involvement in the assassination. Krunoslav Prates was also put on trial on charges relating to the crime.
The German court trying Prates threatened to take action against Croatian officials who obstructed testimony at the trial, including Croatian president
Stjepan Mesić. In 2008, Krunoslav Prates was sentenced to life in prison for his role in the assassination.
In 2009, Germany's
Federal Criminal Police Office issued warrants for Zdravko Mustač, Ivan Cetinić, Ivan Lasić and Boris Brnelić for involvement in the murder as members of the
UDBA. In October 2009, German police arrested Luka Sekula, a Croat with Swedish citizenship, for participation in the murder.
On 1 January 2014,
Josip Perković was arrested in Zagreb. His trial began in
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
in mid-2014. In August 2016, both Perković and
Zdravko Mustač were proclaimed guilty in a first-instance verdict and sentenced to life imprisonment for abetting the murder of Đureković.
Publications
* ''Ja, Josip Broz-Tito: roman'', 1982.
* ''Kako Jugoslavija pljačka Hrvatsku'', poslije 1982.
* ''Komunizam: velika prevara'', 1982.
* ''Sinovi orla = Bijt’ e Shqiponjës: roman'', 1982.
* ''Slom ideala: (ispovijed Titovog ministra): roman'', 1982., New York, 1983.
* ''Crveni menageri'', Washington, 1983.
* ''Yugoslavia in crisis: the political and economic dimensions'', New York, 1983. (suautor Ivan Botić)
* ''Yugoslavia’s energy crisis'', 1983.
See also
*
State Security Service
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Durekovic, Stjepan
1926 births
1983 deaths
People from Petrovaradin
Croats of Vojvodina
Assassinated Croatian people
Croatian anti-communists
Croatian emigrants to Germany
Croatian nationalists
Yugoslav emigrants to West Germany
People murdered in Germany
Burials at Mirogoj Cemetery
Yugoslav defectors
Yugoslav Partisans members
Assassinated Yugoslav people
1983 murders in Germany
People killed in Yugoslav intelligence operations